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Today's special is Pitches à la Mode

Hey Arts peeps! Even though the weather is about to get colder, Arts and Culture pitches are still coming in hot!I've got a slew (I repeat, A SLEW) of great pitches this week, so make sure to check them out! There's a bunch of fall festivals coming up in October, so that means great opportunities for interviews and exclusive early media access to movies and documentaries. We've also got plenty of pitches for people who aren't cinematically inclined, so no need to fret!If you weren't able to make this week's pitch meeting know that we missed you, but you won't want to miss next week. We'll be starting the meeting with a workshop on interviewing, one of the most crucial skills in a journalist's toolkit. I'll also be recording the presentation for anyone who can't make it and posting it in our Volunteer Slack, so if you haven't yet been added to our Slack channel let me know before next week!And now, as always, the recurring columns: 

• *NEW* The Hobby Hole: Tell us about any unique hobbies you have or give a fresh take on an old favourite. It could be a passion project or an activity you do when you want to lay back, unplug your brain and watch the hours fly by.

• *NEW* Paddling up the Livestream: Wax lyrical about your favourite livestreams, put us onto some hidden-away gems, or give your hot-takes on livestream culture!

• *NEW* The First Time: Try something totally new and write about your experience. It could be a cuisine you’ve heard great things about, an unfamiliar type of music or an activity that you've never tried before. Tell us about it all from the POV of a complete novice.

• *NEW* Dream Team: Write about your ultimate dream collab! It might be a Stephen King children’s books series or a Billie Eilish x Tyler, the Creator supergroup. Tell us what makes your dream team such a gamechanger. 

• *NEW* Off-Campus Gems: Tell us about a local gem in and around the University area. It could be a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, your favourite bar, or even your go-to convenience. Celebrate all things U of A and Old Strathcona!

• Gateway to Gastronomy: Know any fun and easy to follow recipes? Share it in this recurring segment. 

• Exploring Edmonton: Do you know any cool places around Edmonton that people should visit? Write about them in this new series!  

• Lunch Break: An Arts & Culture series where we share fun recipes with humorous commentary. It's wholesome and lowkey, so check it out and send an installment over!

• Brew Crew/Vino Bitches: A fun, short review of your favourite (or not-so-favourite) beers, wines, or other alcoholic beverages of choice.

• Noodle Nation: Who loves noodles? You (might) love noodles! Write a column on your favourite noodles or noodle haunts.

• Pot Thots: Write about your favourite strains, equipment, dispensaries, and more in our column on the world of legal weed.

• Eating Edmonton: Write about your favourite (or not-so-favourite) local haunts in this miscellaneous foodie column. A great way to spotlight local restaurants in a time when they really need it!

• DatApp: Have an app that’s been a gamechanger? Wax eloquently about it (or a few of your favourites) in this column.

• Top 5: Top 5 streaming shows, places to cry in public, work-from-home tips...you name it, you can write a Top 5 on it!

• Diss Track: Are there 3-4 songs that grind your gears in the worst way possible? Diss the crap out of them in this column.

• Doin’ You: Everyone has something they do exceptionally well. Wanna teach others your wizardry? Walk us step-by-step through the process of a master for this column.

• Playlists: Have killer musical taste? Share it on The Gateway with a curated playlist.

• Retro on Retro: Is some classic piece of media on your mind? Reflect on it with the distance of time in this column. Discuss the qualities, staying power, and impact of your favourite old movie, video game, album, book, play, or whatever else!

• Double Take: Love spitting fire-hot takes on pop culture? You and a friend (or foe) can team up to write opposing takes on some piece of art/entertainment/media.

• ...AND MORE! I'm always open to any pitches you might have for me!

Five National Film Board of Canada works available through 2020 Calgary International Film Festival

The Calgary International Film Festival is taking place from September 24 - October 4 and is available for streaming in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. We have access to media screeners and interviews with five directors who will be featured at the festival, including Mira Burt-Wintonick (Wintopia), Michèle Stephenson (Stateless), Ariel Nasr (The Forbidden Reel), Catherine Lepage (The Great Malaise), and Jean-François Lévesque (I, Barnabé). Check out the trailers in the links and let me know if there's any movies you're interested in!

EVENTS TRANSPIRING BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL GAMEEvents Transpiring is a funny and offbeat take on the high-school sports movie, full of deadpan humour and locker room conversations about existentialism. The film was shot in Calgary with a local cast and crew, and stars Andrew Phung (Kim's Convenience). You can watch the trailer here. There is an opportunity to interview the director Ted Stenson or Andrew Phung ahead of the film's premiere, so let me know if you're interested!

First ever YEGPodfest kicks off on Oct. 1

The first-ever YEGPodfest is happening from October 1 - 3! The free, virtual podcast festival includes crash courses on podcast basics, masterclasses with CBC Edmonton producers, and panels with professional podcasters. The festival will be headlined by Jad Abumrad (Radiolab), and guests from the CBC’s The Secret Life of Canada, Seat at the Table, Tony Ho, and Is This for Real? Let me know if you'd like to interview YEGPodfest Executive Director, Fawnda Mithrush.

The Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF) is going to be kicking off next week, and so will our coverage of this year's festivities! The Gateway always likes to do in-depth coverage of the EIFF and the films featured, but I'll be saving those pitches for next week when the opening day is a little bit closer. In the meantime, if you'd like to interview a representative from the EIFF's Board of Directors and preview the festival, let me know and I can set it up for you!